Display cabinet



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` DISPLAY CABLNET Filed May 8,- 1955 2 sheets-snaaiA 1 v `charles111.30m.,

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July 27, 1937.' t. w. Bos'roN 230883149 i DISPLAY CABINET v Filed May 8,1955 2 sheets-sheet. 2

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Patented July 27, 1937 'y 4unirse stares I tiene ement s ortica DISPLAYCABINET Charles W. Boston, Kenmore, N. Y.

Y Application May S, 1933, Serial N0. 669,985

This `invention relates to cabinets for storing and displaying articles,and it has particular relation.; to `storageor display cabinets in whicha plurality-of displaying arrangements are possible as wellas beingselectively interchangeable depending upon the kind of goodsto'be storedor displayed, or upon the type of shelf arrangement of the cabinetdesired.

` In business concerns engaged in selling merchandise of various kinds,for example, groceries wherein various types of goodsare handled-it is lvery important that the 'goods should be displayed to best advantage.`Especially in grocery stores there is considerable amount of businessl5 'in so-called package goods and also in so-called bulkgoods. Often ithappens that the same class of goods is sold in both package and bulkform and the demand `for both forms varies from time to time. Y l One ofthe yprincipal objects ofthe invention is to provide a-cabinet which isadapted to dis-- play both paokageand bulk goods, and which is readilyconvertible for displaying either package or bulk goods, or part packageand part bulk goods. Y

Another object of the invention is to provide a convertible displaycabinet that is provided with interchangeable or reversible parts fordisplay ing various types of goods without resorting to the use offastening devices, tools, or the like, and that can be converted simplyand effectively at a mornentrsV notice by extremely simple operartions.A i j .In the drawings:Y A f Figfl is a verticalsection of a displaycabinet embodying the invention;

i Fig; 2is a front elevation of a display cabinet; Fig. 3 isafragmentary perspective illustrating details of constructionofithecabinet; and Fig. 4 is a diagrammatic perspective of a metal shelf. l

InA practicing the invention a framework iii is i provided-Whichcomprises end frame members or Walls l2, rear wall structure l5connecting the end Walls, and other frame members it which serve tobrace and strengthen the entire cabinet structure. i

It will be observed that the front edges il of `the Aend walls l2 areinclined rearwardly from the bottom portion of the cabinet, and thatpermanent shelves l5 having suitable mounting supports it secured uponthe end Walls, are horizontally arranged and extend substantially to the`front of the cabinet. Other cabinet shelves Ei? also are arrangedhorizontally but extend forvvardly only to-intermediate locationsbetween the rear Wall I5 and the front edges on vthe Walls l2. Y g Setsof guides 22 are provided in the end Walls I2 and each set includes asubstantially horizon- 5`- tal guide portion 23 and an inclined guideportion 25 which intersect substantially at or adjacent the front edgeof the Wall l2' in a guide entrance portion 245. Removable andreversible shelves 2l are mounted in the guideslZZ by inlosertingvopposite ends 28-of each shelf slidably into opposed portions ofthe guides in opposite end walls I2, and opposite ends of eachreversible shelf are adapted to bevguidedinto opposed en trance portions2li and then directed either into 15 opposed guide portions 23 orintotheopposed guide portions 25. In referring to a set of guides, it isintended that one set should include each group of threeintercommunicating groove sections 2'3, 25 and 26 of one end` wall Il,and it 20 requires two of such sets of guides to support each shelf 2'Iin a plurality of positions; that is, one set in one Wall i2 and anotherset in the opposite WallV I2 at opposite ends of the shelf. A

One edge of each shelf 2l rigidly or integrally .25 carries a displaymember 29 which hasan inclined face Bil disposed at substantially thesame inclination as the front edges ll of the end walls when the shelfis in a horizontal position in the horizontal guide portion 23 of thewall. Thus, `3k() uniform and proper cooperation of they shelf andcabinet Walls is insured. Guide flanges or rel cesses 3l in a guidemember 32 that is secured upon the face of the member 29 are adapted toslidably receive plates 33 to serve as price tags m35 or. name platesfor Whatever data it is desired to be applied thereon. Similar plateholding structure 3e is applicable in substantially the same manner tothe front portions of the permanent shelves i8. 40 In this arrangementof the members the pe-rmanent shelves 2l! and reversible shelves 2l arealigned to provide substantially continuous shelf surface upon whichpackage goods 35 are especially adapted to be displayed and stored. The45 shelves are of such depth that suitable space is provided for storingin the rear portion of Ythe cabinet and the front edge or display member29 insures proper aligning arrangement of the packages to be displayed.50 The other edge of the reversible shelf 2'I is provided with arabbeted edge portion 36 to re- ,ceive an anchoring means 3l in the formof a plate bent into substantially channel form for engaging a flangeStof a carton display .cover t9 55 Ul y that is adapted to be mountedupon an open end of a carton ifi for containing bulk merchandise. When acarton of this kind is displayed the shelf 2l' is inserted into theguide portion 25 to present the shelf at an angle to the horizontal, andto present the anchoring means 3l at the front of the cabinet forengagement with the carton cover flange. In this arrangement the cartoncover 39 is disposed at the proper angle to the cabinet, that is,substantially the same inclination as the inclination of the front edgesi? of the end walls. When each reversible shelf 21 is in this positionthere is suflicient space in the rear of the cabinet for storing othercartons, or the like, upon the rear shelf 2@ and these cartons can beused when the contents of the front or displaying cartons and covers areexhausted.

From this description it will be apparent that the cabinet is adaptedfor immediate change for displaying package or bulk merchandise, merelyby removing and reversing any or all of the shelves 21, according to theamount of space desired for each type of goods. Although only a portionof the cabinet is shown to be provided with reversible shelves, it isapparent that this type of shelf can be applied for utilizing the entirecapacity of the cabinet. Grooves have been shown as providing a simplemeans for properly guiding and supporting the shelves in the end walls.Howeverthere are other types of guides which could be employed forachieving the same results. At the bottom portion of the cabinet one ofthe members i 6 is shown as being mounted at an incline corresponding tothe inclination of the inclined guides 25 and is adapted to receive oneof the cartons 4U in the same manner as the shelf 2l when the latter ismounted in the guide 25.

In Fig. 4 a shelf 5D is shown which is composed of suitable sheet metaland the opposite edge portions of the shelf are provided with a tagholding channel 52 and carton ange engaging members 53 correspondingsubstantially to the member 29 and anchoring means 3l, respectively,described with reference to Figs. 1 and 3. One edge of the shelf 5S isprovided with a reinforcing flange or bead 55 and the other edge portionhas a portion welded or otherwise secured, as indicated at,56, to therear surface of the channel 52. End portions 5l are adapted to t intoguides of the type shown in Figs. 1 and 3 or special metal cabinets canbe made to provide a complete metal assembly.

Although only two forms of the invention have been shown and describedin detail it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that theinvention is not so limited but that various changes may be made thereinwithout departing from the spirit of the invention or from the scope ofthe appended claims.

I claim:

l. A display cabinet comprising a framework having permanent shelvestherein, sets of guides having guide portions aligned with one of theshelves and having guide portions disposed at angles to said shelves,and a removable and reversible shelf mounted in said guides and adaptedto be positioned either as a continuation of the permanent shelf or as ashelf disposed at an angle to the permanent shelf depending upon thedirection of insertion of the reversible shelf into the guides.

2. A display cabinet comprising a supporting framework having front andrear portions, a plurality of pairs of opposed guides provided in theframework, one pair of guides being disposed. at an angle to anotherpair, a shelf removable and reversible with respect to the framework topresent either of two of its opposite edges at the front of theframework, said shelf having means cooperable with either of the pairsof guides to support the shelf in any of a plurality of positionsdepending upon the pair of guides into which the shelf is inserted.

3. A display cabinet comprising a supporting framework having front andrear portions, a plurality of pairs of opposed guides provided in theframework, one pair of guides being disposed at an angle to anotherpair, a shelf reversibly disposed with respect to its opposite edges inthe framework to present either of two of said opposite edges at thefront of the framework, said shelf having means cooperable with any ofthe pairs of guides for insertion of the shelf into the supportingframework in either of a plurality of positions depending upon the pairlof guides into which the shelf is inserted, means at one edge of theshelf for alining one type of merchandise upon the latter at the frontof the framework in one position of the shelf, and means at the oppositeedge of the shelf for alining another type of merchandise upon thelatter at the front of the framework in the reversed position of theshelf.

4. A display cabinet comprising a supporting framework having front andrear portions, a plurality of sets of guides in the framework, theguides of each set being disposed at an angle to each other andconverging to form a single shelf receiving entrance adjacent the frontof the framework, a shelf removable and reversible for support in saidsets of guides, said sets of guides being formed to receive the shelf ina plurality of selective positions depending upon the angle at which theshelf is inserted into the guides, opposite edges of the shelf havingdisplay positioning means adapting the shelf for displaying differenttypes of goods, means'included in the shelf for slidably mounting thelatter in any of the guides with either of said opposite edges presentedat the front of the framework.

5. A display cabinet comprising a supporting framework having front andrear portions, a plurality of pairs of opposed guides provided in theframework and converging to provide shelf receiving entrances at thefront of the cabinet, a shelf removable and reversible with respect tothe framework and normally presenting one or the other of its oppositeedges at the shelf entrance of the front of the cabinet, said shelfhaving means cooperable with any of the pairs of guides to support theshelf in any of a plurality of positions depending upon the angle atwhich the shelf is inserted into the guides.

5. A display cabinet comprising a supporting framework having front andrear portions, a plurality of pairs of opposed guides provided in theframework, one pair of guides being disposed at an angle to anotherpair, and converging toward the front of the cabinet to form commonentrances for the pairs of guides, a shelf removably and reversiblydisposed in the framework to present either of two of its opposite edgesat the guide entrances of the front of the cabinet, said shelf havingmeans cooperable with any of the pairs of guides for insertion of theshelf into the supporting framework in any of a plurality of positionsdepending upon the angle at which the shelf is inserted into the guides,means at one edge of the shelf for aligning one type of merchandise 35upon the latter at the front of the framework in one position of theshelf, and means at the opposite edge of the shelf for aligning anothertype of merchandise upon the latter at the front of the framework in thereversed position of the shelf. g

7. A display cabinet comprising a supporting framework having front andrear portions, a plurality of sets of shelf supporting guidesincorporated in the framework, guides of one set being disposed at anangle to guides of another set, a shelf reversibly and removablysupported by the framework and insertable into any of the sets of guidesin a plurality of selective positions depending upon the guides selectedto receive said shelf, opposite sides of the shelf having differentforms of display facilitating means adapting the shelf for displayingdifferent types of merchandise, and means included in said shelf forslidably mounting the latter in any of the guides with either of saidopposite edges presented at the front of the framework.

CHARLES W. BOSTON.

